Vinnie's Italia Importing Co. Grocers and Pentecostal Church

777-785 Grand Avenue encompasses two buildings. Both appear to have been built in 1890, appearing in the 1901 Sanborn map. Before the constructions of the buildings, the land was seized by the bank due to a foreclosure (White). The buildings are a late adaptation of an Italianate style of the Victorian architectural era, a typical style of commercial buildings during that time featuring a brick exterior and masonry frame. Currently, 783-785 Grand Ave has the distinct feature of seemingly missing a window. Furthermore, the façade seems to be newer compared to the brickwork of the building next door. Records do not show if the building originally had the missing window or not. In 1988, a permit was filed to completely remodel the second floor apartment and to apply the egress window requirements (Building permit application, 1988).  This could have resulted in filling in a window that was once there before. For a long time, the area was a bustling commercial strips filled with various shops along both sides as shown through a photograph in the Dana Photo Collection. Throughout the years, numerous shopkeepers went in and out of these doors.  Today, however, the street is quieter with less businesses and patrons. 777-781 Grand Ave. In 1889, Andrew J. Clerkin and William H. McDonald bought the building from the New Haven Savings Bank (White Brothers & Clark, Hall & Peck, 1931). They were the first business to enter 779 - 781 as Clerkin & McDonald, owned and operated by Clerkin and McDonald themselves. Beforehand moving to this location, Clerkin & McDonald had been located down the street at 738 Grand Ave.  Here, they sold stove ranges, plumbing services, steam and hot water heaters. The 1901 Sanborn maps reveal that there used to be a tin shop in the back where Clerkin and McDonald most likely made and repaired their products. In 1903, William McDonald decided to branch out and opened his own store, which interestingly offered the same service right across the street at 778 Grand Ave. In the same year, Clerkin sold the property to Reverend John Russell, who worked at St. Patrick’s Church right down the street. Russell then leased the storefront to Clerkin and the upstairs to another group known as the Franklin Athletic Club. After the split with his partner, Clerkin then changed the store name to Clerkin & Company (New Haven City Directory 1903). Clerkin, with the help of his sons, remained in business until 1934. In 1914, the store was split into two, with Ferdinand Gentile Barbershop occupying the other half.  When Clerkin went out of business, the storefront became vacant for a year before being picked up by J J Vollono Radios. However, it was again short lived and after a year, in 1937, Vincenzo D’Addio Shoe Repair replaced it. In the next year, Gentile, the barber, also left the building.  A restaurant took its place for five years. In 1946, Bob’s Market took over both of the spaces, returning it to one storefront, as was the original plan. He stayed there for a decade before Lazio Importer Co Grocers, owned by Louis Persichilli and Joseph Fratarcangelli, succeeded the store.  The successor was again short-lived, only lasted two years. However, the next time the store exchanged hands, its purpose remained the same while its name changed to Italia Importing Co. Grocers in a turnover to Italio and John Ciocca. In 1971, ownership exchanged hands again to Pasquale DelMonaco. In 1977, the space was finally acquired by Achille DiVirgillo, and he retains ownership until today (appraisal). In 1983, he changed the store name to Vinny’s Italia Importing Co and later on, he decided that he wasn’t satisfied with the spelling and changed it to Vinnie’s Italia Importing Co. Today, the store is still surviving, serving a steady flow of customers and local regulars. Upstairs is a different story.  Franklin Athletic Club stayed active until 1932 for 19 years. After that, listings disappeared until 1950 when Lega Abruzzese, an Italian social association, took up the place again. After five years, Club Champlain Inc. replaced the association. Unfortunately, Champlain only lasted two years. Departing away from a club meeting area, the second story of the building turned into a Laundromat for a year and then became vacant. In 1968, it turned back to its roots when the Universal Italian Association took over for two years. In 1974, the Little Italy Club occupied the place. After three years, it became vacant again until 1990 when Connecticut Aikikai Akikido & Iaido Karate Studio came in. And unlike its many predecessors, the studio has strongly stayed in business until this day, 23 years and counting. 783-785 Grand Ave. On August 8th, 1889, The New Haven Savings Bank sold the title deed to John F. Shanley. There, John Shanley opened a Boston Store in 1890 and then dry goods store in 1904 in 785 Grand Ave. The store stayed until the end of 1922 when he died due to an accident on the interstate. The building title was then passed to Morris Cohen for $20,500. Morris Cohen then leased 785 Grand Ave in 1923 to Louis Quint, a milliner. There, Morris Cohen made his business in designing and manufacturing hats. Like its friend next door, 783-785 also went through many changes of hands, each hoping to construct a successful business.  However, regardless of success, many businesses still disappeared within a few years.  After some rocky times, the storefront of the building served as a grocer for an extended amount of time, though under a handful of different owners. First was Harry Science Grocers and then it became David Haber Grocers. Next up was David Morris Food, which was owned by David Fleischner and Morris Rubin. However, the turnover streak ran dry and the lot stood vacant for two years. In 1953, a coppersmith by the name of Alex Frank took up the place but for one reason or another left it vacant. In 1957, four phrenologists with the same last name came in and left by the next year. After being vacant again for a year, Half Hour Laundry took over for only another two years. Seizing the opportunity, a long time furniture store from across the street (778 Grand Ave) took over and stayed for two years as well. Standard Window Shade Co. was the first business that stayed for more than two years besides the grocers. In fact, the owner, Ralph Colavolpe was able to keep it up for fourteen years, ending the business in 1979. Around two decades later, Cheryl Elliot, now the owner of the building, opened Nicki and Joey’s New York Style Deli and then changed it to Nicki and Joey’s Soul Food grocery store the following year. However, a year later she closed the grocery. Her husband, Joe Elliot, filed a permit to renovate the deli space to create a Laundromat. However, no Laundromat has been documented. They hung onto the space until 1996 and for a while, no new businesses moved in. In the early 2000s, a Spanish Pentecostal church finally claimed the lot and has been there ever since. Unlike the clubroom next door, the upstairs of this building was used as a living unit, many of which stayed for a long time, static, in contrast the fast-changing businesses downstairs.  Numerous shopkeepers went in and out of these building since the grand opening. Taken the history of these two stores as a whole, one can see a storefront that is both diverse and colorful, going from being a grocers and plumbers to Laundromat to a church. Despite some of the businesses disappearing quickly, the buildings held its steady stream of new comers. Even during the Great Depression, the storefront was never left empty for more than an extended amount of time. However, as time went by and with the urban scape changing, the bustling of various shops moving in and out died down. The declining from its prime could be due to the construction of Interstate-91 which passes by within a block away (see Google Map figure). And today, many of the surrounding buildings were demolished but the two buildings still remain and sit quietly among the empty lots and parking spaces.  



Uses of the buildings from 1890 to 2006. New Haven Directories.